Essay name: Bhasa (critical and historical study)
Author: A. D. Pusalker
This book studies Bhasa, the author of thirteen plays ascribed found in the Trivandrum Sanskrit Series. These works largely adhere to the rules of traditional Indian theatrics known as Natya-Shastra.
Page 94 of: Bhasa (critical and historical study)
94 (of 564)
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74
vernaculars, we are not competent to hazard any guess;
but supported as we are by a South Indian Scholar, we
think that the word 'Balacarita' in the passage is
purposely used, suggesting the drama of that name.
It may be contended that the reference may be to
another Balacarita; but we have not yet come across any
other Balacarita, and again, especially in dramatic
literature two works bearing identical titles are not found.
We think there is no reason to infer the existence of
another Bäl by BhÄsa dealing with RÄma's childhood.
The verse quoted by ViÅ›vanÄtha in his Sahityadarpaṇa
as from a BÄlacarita, viz.
उतà¥à¤¸à¤¾à¤¹à¤¾à¤¤à¤¿à¤¶à¤¯à¤‚ वतà¥à¤¸ तव बालà¥à¤¯à¤‚ à¤� पशà¥à¤¯à¤¤à¤ƒ à¥�
मम हरà¥à¤·à¤µà¤¿à¤·à¤¾à¤¦à¤¾à¤à¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤®à¤¾à¤•à¥à¤°à¤¾à¤¨à¥à¤¤à¤‚ यà¥à¤—पनà¥à¤®à¤¨à¤� à¥�
( [³Ü³Ù²õÄå³óÄå³Ù¾±Å›²¹²â²¹á¹� vatsa tava bÄlyaá¹� ca paÅ›yataá¸� |
mama hará¹£aviá¹£ÄdÄbhyÄmÄkrÄntaá¹� yugapanmanaá¸� ||
(] Kane's Edition, App. E., p. 73).
may very well find a place in our play. It is the
commentator of the Sahityadarpana that has given the
reference (which made MM. Dr. G. Sastri to postulate
the existence of another Bal by BhÄsa) in his prefatory
remarks attached to the verse, which read as follows:
रामं पà¥à¤°à¤¤à¤� परशà¥à¤°à¤¾à¤®à¤¸à¥à¤¯à¥‹à¤•à¥à¤¤à¤¿à¤°à¤¿à¤¯à¤®à¥ [rÄmaá¹� prati paraÅ›urÄmasyoktiriyam] ' and it is quite possible that he may
not be right. The reference ought to have been a
संकरà¥à¤·à¤£à¤¸à¥à¤¯à¥‹à¤¤à¤¿à¤°à¤¿à¤¯à¤®à¥ | [saṃkará¹£aṇasyotiriyam | ] We locate the stanza उतà¥à¤¸à¤¾à¤¹à¤¾à¤¤à¤¿à¤¶à¤¯à¤‚ [³Ü³Ù²õÄå³óÄå³Ù¾±Å›²¹²â²¹á¹� ] etc. in our
text at p. 42 after the last speech by Damodara and before
the stage direction ( संकरà¥à¤·à¤£à¤¸à¥à¤¤à¥ˆà¤ƒ सह निषà¥à¤•à¥à¤°à¤¾à¤¨à¥à¤¤à¤ƒ à¥� ) [saṃkará¹£aṇastaiá¸� saha niá¹£krÄntaá¸� | ) ] There is an
occasion for the concern shown by Saṃkarṣaṇa for the
safety of Damodara: Cf. again
(
Samkarṣaṇa's speech on page 49; and further, Damodara
has been addressed as 'Vatsa' by Samkarṣaṇa. So we
think the verse fits in well with the context shown and
hence the commentator on the Sahityadarpana is
unhappily wrong. There are many instances of such
mistakes by commentators.³ Thus, assigning a suitable
reads दशरथसà¥à¤� [»å²¹Å›²¹°ù²¹³Ù³ó²¹²õ²â²¹ ] for
1 Critical Study, p. 21. 2 Khuperkar, however,
परशà¥à¤°à¤¾à¤®à¤¸à¥à¤¯ [±è²¹°ù²¹Å›³Ü°ùÄå³¾²¹²õ²â²¹ ] in रामं पà¥à¤°à¤¤à¤� परशà¥à¤°à¤¾à¤®à¤¸à¥à¤¥à¥‹à¤•à¥à¤¤à¤¿à¤°à¤¿à¤¯à¤®à¥ à¥� ( [rÄmaá¹� prati paraÅ›urÄmasthoktiriyam | (] Lokasiksana, 5, p. 326 ). cf. also the
Sahityadarpana, com. RÄmacarana, Bombay, 1922, p, 304.
3 There are many
instances of similar mistakes by commentators, e. g. st. 96 from Damodaragupta's
Kutttinīmata has been quoted in the Kavya Prakasa (X. 452) as an illustration
of Atisayokti, but most of the commentators on the Kavya PrakÄÅ›a are wrong in
tracing the quotation. According to KamalÄkara Bhatta, the verse is from the
MÄlati-Madhava, while MaheÅ›vara wrongly reading Malavi for Malati in the verse,
refers it to the MÄlavikÄgnimitra. etc. is given in the Kavya PrakÄÅ›a
(X. 453 ) as an illustration of PrativastÅ«pamÄ; but one commentator takes the verse
as the speech of VatsarÄja to Ratnavali, while another takes it as the lamentation of
the Pandavas after Draupadi was engaged as Sairandhrī. Prof. Paranjape has given
many instances in his introduction to the Pratima, pp. XX-XXIII.
